Portal:Mountains

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Introduction

Silvretta panorama from the Ochsenkopf

A mountain is an elevated portion of the Earth's crust, generally with steep sides that show significant exposed bedrock. Although definitions vary, a mountain may differ from a plateau in having a limited summit area, and is usually higher than a hill, typically rising at least 300 metres (980 ft) above the surrounding land. A few mountains are isolated summits, but most occur in mountain ranges.

Mountains are formed through tectonic forces, erosion, or volcanism, which act on time scales of up to tens of millions of years. Once mountain building ceases, mountains are slowly leveled through the action of weathering, through slumping and other forms of mass wasting, as well as through erosion by rivers and glaciers.

High elevations on mountains produce colder climates than at sea level at similar latitude. These colder climates strongly affect the ecosystems of mountains: different elevations have different plants and animals. Because of the less hospitable terrain and climate, mountains tend to be used less for agriculture and more for resource extraction, such as mining and logging, along with recreation, such as mountain climbing and skiing.

The highest mountain on Earth is Mount Everest in the Himalayas of Asia, whose summit is 8,850 m (29,035 ft) above mean sea level. The highest known mountain on any planet in the Solar System is Olympus Mons on Mars at 21,171 m (69,459 ft). The tallest mountain including submarine terrain is Mauna Kea in Hawaii from its underwater base at 9,330 m (30,610 ft) and some scientists consider it to be the tallest on earth. (Full article...)

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Selected mountain-related landform

A mountain pass is a navigable route through a mountain range or over a ridge. Since mountain ranges can present formidable barriers to travel, passes have played a key role in trade, war, and both human and animal migration throughout history. At lower elevations it may be called a hill pass. A mountain pass is typically formed between two volcanic peaks or created by erosion from water or wind. (Full article...)

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Selected mountain range

The Santa Ana Mountains are a short peninsular mountain range along the coast of Southern California in the United States. They extend for approximately 61 miles (98 km) southeast of the Los Angeles Basin largely along the border between Orange and Riverside counties. (Full article...)

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Selected mountain type

The Dammersfeldkuppe, a *kuppe* or domed hill in the Rhön

A Kuppe is the term used in German-speaking central Europe for a mountain or hill with a rounded summit that has no rock formation, such as a tor, on it. A range of such hills is called a Kuppengebirge. In geology the term also refers to corresponding stratigraphic forms. The term is similar to the English topographical and geological terms, knoll and dome. It is also analogous to the French word ballon which means a mountain with a rounded summit.

In cartography in German-speaking countries, the term is used more widely to refer to all eminences (biaxially convex landforms) i.e. including those with a more pointed appearance. (Full article...)

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Selected climbing article

A hitch is a type of knot used to secure a rope to an object or another rope. Hitches are used in a variety of situations, including climbing, sailing, and securing loads. They are classified based on their ability to be tightened or released, their resistance to slipping, and their strength. Some common types of hitch knots include the clove hitch, the timber hitch, and the round turn and two half-hitches. (Full article...)

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General images

The following are images from various mountain-related articles on Wikipedia.

Image 1Everest is highest from sea level (green), Mauna Kea is highest from its base (orange), Cayambe is farthest from Earth's axis (pink) and Chimborazo is farthest from Earth's centre (blue) (from Mountain)
Image 2Mountaineers proceed across snow fields on South Tyrol; other climbers are visible further up the slopes. (from Mountaineering)
Image 3Montes Apenninus on the Moon was formed by an impact event. (from Mountain range)
Image 4Mont Blanc in Aosta Valley, the highest point in the European Union (from Mountain)
Image 5Cabane du Trient, a mountain hut in the Swiss Alps (from Mountaineering)
Image 6Edward Whymper (1840–1911), painting by Lance Calkin (from Mountaineering)
Image 7This 1848 "Sketch showing the actual elevation of the Snow Line in different Latitudes" by Alexander Keith Johnston shows the snow lines of mountains in America, Europe and Asia (from Snow line)
Image 8Pirin Mountain, Bulgaria, part of the fault-block Rila-Rhodope massif (from Mountain)
Image 9Iranian oak scrub in the Zagros Mountains (from Montane ecosystems)
Image 10Car of Horská služba (Czech Republic) (from Mountain rescue)
Image 11Antique climbing tools (from Mountaineering)
Image 12Mount Everest, Earth's highest mountain (from Mountain)
Image 13A subalpine lake in the Cascade Range, Washington, United States (from Montane ecosystems)
Image 14The northern Urals at high latitude and elevation have an alpine climate and barren ground. (from Mountain)
Image 15Alpine landscape below Malyovitsa Peak, Rila Mountain, Bulgaria (from Montane ecosystems)
Image 16Fixed lines and ladders are distinguishing characteristics of expedition style mountaineering (from Mountaineering)
Image 17Winter campers bivouaced in the snow (from Mountaineering)
Image 18Stretcher box in Cumbria, England, prepositioned equipment saves mountain rescue teams having to trudge up mountains with it. (from Mountain rescue)
Image 19A mountain rescue team in Iran moving a casualty. (from Mountain rescue)
Image 20Edelweiss, a plant associated with mountain sports (from Mountaineering)
Image 21Climber approaching the summit of Manaslu at 8,163 metres (from Mountaineering)
Image 22Tropical montane forest at around 2,000 m in Malaysia (from Montane ecosystems)
Image 23Chimborazo, Ecuador, whose summit is the point farthest away from the Earth's center (from Mountain)
Image 24Waimea Canyon, Hawaii, is known for its montane vegetation. (from Montane ecosystems)
Image 25Temperate montane forest in Bavaria, Germany (from Montane ecosystems)
Image 26An alpine mire in the Swiss Alps (from Mountain)
Image 27Mountain rescue team members and other services attend to a casualty in Freiburg Germany. (from Mountain rescue)
Image 28The Catskills in Upstate New York represent an eroded plateau. (from Mountain)
Image 29Climbers ascending Mount Rainier looking at Little Tahoma Peak (from Mountaineering)
Image 30Choppering out the injured – with Mt. Forbes in the background (from Mountain rescue)
Image 31The Ocean Ridge, the world's longest mountain range (chain) (from Mountain range)
Image 32Fuji volcano (from Mountain)
Image 33The Andes, the longest mountain range on the surface of the Earth, have a dramatic impact on the climate of South America (from Mountain range)
Image 34Illustration of mountains that developed on a fold that has been thrust (from Mountain)
Image 35British mountaineer William Cecil Slingsby became known as the father of Norwegian mountaineering and contributed greatly to its popularization with his classic book Norway, the Northern Playground (from Mountaineering)
Image 36Alpine flora near Cascade Pass (from Montane ecosystems)
Image 37The city of La Paz reaches up to 4,000 metres (13,000 ft) in elevation. (from Mountain)
Image 38Mountaineers climbing in South Tyrol (from Mountain)
Image 39A stand of mountain birch at around 750 m in Trollheimen, typical of Scandinavian subalpine forests (from Montane ecosystems)
Image 40The Namcha Barwa Himal, east part of the Himalayas as seen from space by Apollo 9 (from Mountain range)
Image 41Mountaineers, c. 1900 (from Mountaineering)

Selected skiing article

The introduction of artificial snowmaking with snow guns in the late 1950s revolutionized the ski industry.

A ski season is a period when skiing, snowboarding and other alpine sports are viable in an alpine resort. The season corresponds to when ski lifts are running and lift passes are available. Depending on the latitude and altitude of the resort, the season will typically run from early to mid-winter until mid- to late spring. Ideally, the season will be over before the thaw begins.

A typical ski season has three stages, and therefore three levels of lift ticket pricing: (Full article...)

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